Danville Express

Contra Costa County has board openings

The Contra Costa County Aviation Advisory Committee has two openings for at-large positions, representing all stakeholders interested in Buchanan Field and Byron Airport.

A position is also open on the County Retirement Board. Candidates should be county residents with experience in pension fund investment, equity investment or banking.

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District's Fire Advisory Committee has an opening for a four-year term. The committee is responsible for reviewing operations and budget. Applicants must live or work within the boundaries of the Fire District.

Finally, a position is open on the county's Planning Commission, which is generally responsible for advising the legislative body on all planning-related matters.

Applications for all of the above positions can be obtained from the clerk of the Board of Supervisors. Call 335-1900 or visit www.co.contra-costa.ca.us; applications are due by 5 p.m., Friday, April 4.

Posted by Hal Bailey, a resident of another community
on Mar 21, 2008 at 7:44 am

Dear neighbors,

One could imagine that the best of talent among us could fill these positions. Our airports are overall corporate centers and should be further developed as economic resources to central and east county. County retirement planning, if we focus on county pensions, is a cost to all of us that needs leadership from our institutional experts. Our fire district requires oversight and citizen management so capable fire personnel can do their jobs with focused citizen support.

County planning, as we have seen in our region, is an oxymoron created by disconnects between CCC-BOS, Departments, planning commissions/groups and regional neighborhoods. We need to create planning management in our county government and not assume it exists.

Let's first ask Ms. Jane Pennington, jpenn@cob.cccounty.us, to provide the current status and citizen staffing of each board, and then determine if expertise would improve county performance including recognition of such boards' advisories.

Hal/CDSI

Posted from halbailey@yahoo.com

Posted by Lucy, a resident of Danville
on Mar 21, 2008 at 12:32 pm

Why don't you run for one of the open positions, Hal?

Posted by Hal Bailey, a resident of another community
on Mar 21, 2008 at 12:56 pm

Dear Lucy and neighbors,

I have volunteered via county applications to participate in many boards and committees. Most applications received no response from any source in the county. It seems my years of being the self-designated Alamo Towne Fool simply disqualifies me from consideration or even polite response.

It seems I have a reputation with aggregated politics regionally and locally that does not match their special interests. My often outrageous humor is simply their validation of such rejection.

Thanks for the thought,

Hal

Posted by Vince Kreigher, a resident of another community
on Mar 22, 2008 at 8:49 am

Posted with a smile from the author

Dear neighbors and, especially, Lucy,

I enjoyed the innocense of the thought than any citizen might apply and be considered for a county board position. District 3 for many years has posted openings only to gain applications from many but to select only specific candidates invited to apply.

Rejecting Hal's application is not specific or unique. Many of us have received no response from applications submitted over the past eight years.